Mysuru: A grand and colourful procession marked the commencement of the two-day ‘Namma Basava Jayanti-2025’ celebrations, organised jointly by the Basava Balagagala Okkuta, Mysuru District Unit of Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva-Lingayat Mahasabha and Veerashaiva-Lingayat Associations, in city this morning.

The procession was launched after garlanding the statue of Basaveshwara near Gun House Circle in the heart of the city, in the presence of Suttur Mutt Seer Sri Shivarathri Deshikendra Swamiji and a host of other Seers.

The procession passed through Sayyaji Rao Road, K.R. Circle, D. Devaraj Urs Road, JLB Road, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa Circle (Metropole Circle) and Vinoba Road, and reached Kalamandira on Hunsur Road, where a stage programme was inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

The procession was accompanied by a host of cultural and folk troupes including Nandi Dhwaja,  Puja Kunita, Kamsale, Mangalavadya, Tamate,  Nagaari etc.

The procession also featured a mechanical elephant carrying a portrait of Basaveshwara, an artfully  decorated sarot in which a statue of Basaveshwara was taken and playing of music by English Band.

Several children, dressed as Basavanna and Akkamahadevi, stood in a tonga while a good number of women carried Purna Kumbha, which lent more colour to the procession, in which hundreds of people took part.

MLAs G.T. Devegowda and T.S. Srivatsa, Additional DC Dr. P. Shivaraju,  Neelakanta Mutt Seer Sri Siddamalla Swamiji, Kuderu Mutt Seer Sri Gurushantha Swamiji, Kundur Mutt Seer Dr. Sri Sharathchandra Swamiji, JSS Mahavidyapeetha Executive Secretary Dr. C.G. Betsurmath, Mahasabha District President Hinkal Basavaraju, Basava Balagagala Okkuta President Byathahalli Nagaraj and Kannada activist Mugur Nanjundaswamy were present.